“We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it.” – Tennessee Williams in The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore
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The month dedicated to lovers is still upon us, yet we are already witnessing signs of concern. Where there is smoke, there is invariably a fire.
From January 1 to February 18 of this year, the Davao City Fire District (DCFD) has reported a total of 99 fire incidents, resulting in damages amounting to P15.6 million, as detailed in a news report by Ian Carl Espinosa of MindaNews.
This information was provided by Fire Senior Inspector Shaira Borja, who heads the intelligence and investigation section of the DCFD.
In the previous year, the DCFD documented 855 fire incidents. Among these, 419 were classified as non-structural or incidents causing minimal damage, while 277 were residential fires, 108 were non-residential, and 50 involved transportation vehicles.
Every March, the country observes Fire Prevention Month, which was established by Presidential Proclamation 115-A issued by former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1966. Data from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) indicates that fire incidents tend to increase during the months of March and April, which is believed to be directly linked to the elevated temperatures associated with the summer season.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, so goes a popular saying. Based on such a statement, why don’t we start things off by preventing fire hazards and being prepared for a blaze?
In order to prevent fires at home, the Official Gazette Fire Safety lists several things you need to have. Smoke alarms for one. These prevent a fire from starting by seeing a smoke before it blazes. Install smoke alarms in rooms, kitchens, and other living areas so you can be alerted to small household fires before they get out of hand.
Fire extinguishers are another ally in fire prevention. Since water can’t put out every kind of fire, it’s best to invest in one for your home. Look for one that’s at least an ABC-type extinguisher, that is, one that’s good for light materials, flammable liquids, and energized electrical equipment.
More importantly, your house should have a fire exit. When building your own house, be sure to have an emergency exit plan. As we Filipinos say, “Di bale nang manakawan, huwag lang masunugan.” (It’s better to have your house robbed than burned to the ground.)
Just in case there’s a fire and you are trapped in a burning house, what should you do? The aforementioned gazette shares some tips:
· Position yourself in a room with a window leading outdoors.
· Alert the people outside that you are still in the building. Shout, get a light-colored cloth and wave it outside that window. Basically, do anything to get noticed.
· Seal your room. Close the doors and patch any gaps with towels or sheets to prevent smoke from coming in.
· If trapped in the upper floors of a building, collect bed sheets and foam cushions or mattresses. They’ll come in handy if you have to jump out of a window.
· Do not run if your clothes catch fire. Remember: strop, drop, and roll.
· Clear flammable debris from the window. Rip off curtains or anything else that may burn.
· As much as it pains to say it, don’t break the (window) glass. You might need it to prevent smoke from the outside coming in. Instead, open the window a little if the air outside is fresh.
When there’s fire, there are incidents of burns among victims. That was the reason why then President Corazon C. Aquino also declared March as Burn Prevention Month.
Indeed, burns are as serious a matter as fires are. No one knows for sure how many people are burned in the country, “but most burn injuries are caused by home accidents,” according to the Philippine Society of Burn Injuries (PSBI).
“Burns are one of the most expensive of traumatic injuries due to the extended hospital stay and rehabilitation,” said a study done by Margarita E. Elloso and Jose Joven V. Cruz. “The injuries result in higher rates of permanent disability and economic hardship for the individual as well as their families.”
Tissues that are burned may die, according to the Merck Manual of Medical Information. When a burn damages tissues, fluid leaks from blood vessels, causing swelling. In an extensive burn, loss of a large amount of fluid from abnormally leaky blood vessels can cause shock. In shock, blood pressure decreases so much that too little blood flows to the brain and other vital organs.
Medical experts say there are three kinds of burns. The so-called “first-degree burn” is the least severe. Second-degree burns take about two to three weeks to heal and don’t usually leave a scar. Some of them can be treated at home.
A “third-degree burn” affects the deepest layers of the skin and requires immediate medical attention.
